The New York Times underscores something I’ve been saying for years.
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Irrelevant polling
Matthew Yglesias hits it on the head concerning the recent spate of online polls and their relevance to the real campaign. I’d like to believe that the netroots are leading the way and that one of their preferred candidates will carry the day, but the fact that Hillary Clinton — a candidate I dislike immensely — is barely registering tells you what you need to know.
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Stern strikes quickly
Finally, a sports league that takes action (pictured is Tim Duncan — from the ESPN site — who was tossed the other day by Joey Crawford essentially for laughing on the bench) against an out-of-control umpire or referee.
I am put in mind of an incident back in 1988. Pete Rose was managing the Reds in a game against the Mets when he got into a heated exchange with umpire Dave Pallone. Rather than backing away, as umpires used to be taught, Pallone got right in Rose’s face and the argument escalated, ending with Rose bumping the ump and forearming him in the chest — leading to a record 30-day suspension for Charlie Hustle.
Rose, of course, crossed a line and deserved his punishment. But the incident raised serious questions about the role that umpires play in these kinds of tussles — had Pallone turned away, there was no guarantee that it would have died down. But getting in Rose’s face was guaranteed to turn the heat up a notch.
I always felt Pallone should have been suspended along with Rose, perhaps for a shorter period, and that sports umpires and referees often play a part in these blowups.
So it is gratifying to see NBA Commissioner David Stern come down so quickly on Joey Crawford.
(Question: Would Crawford had been suspended if it hadn’t been a superstar with a clean record like Tim Duncan? What if it had been a no-name like Mardy Collins or someone like Rasheed Wallace, who has had problems in the past? Just asking.)
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Empire states
I finally got to this essay on the expansion of presidential power and the growth of the national security state — and how it relates to the war on terror. I highly recommend it.
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Good decision proves program’s limits
Former State Sen. William Schluter, a Republican who sat on the Clean Election Commission that studied the 2005 pilot program, offered an interesting take on the decision yesterday to select the 14th District as the contested 2007 district — one I can’t necessarily disagree with.
“One of the criticisms of this bill is that it would have a partisan body formed to make this decision — and you’re looking at it,” Schluter said.
He added that the 12th is a major target this year, meaning it will be a magnet for money — again, this may be true, but it ignores the fact that the 14th has been the most expensive district in the state in recent years. So the money was going somewhere.
Where Schluter is correct is that the legislation was destined to create this kind of battle — one that could only result in a partisan decision. A better approach would have been an expanded program — at least four districts (two chosen by each party, which would have allowed both districts to be in play), though the six originally recommended would have been better.
In the end, the 14th makes the most sense — if for no other reason than the candidates will be committed to making the program work.
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Hank Kalet 